Photo of Lincoln Developmental Center Principal Lisa Merritt playing with a student in 2007. Merritt is one five principals in the special education program being reassigned next year. She will serve students ages 5 to 21 at Lincoln School. Parents and teachers at the developmental center have expressed concern about the stability of the program. Emily Zoladz MLive.com

GRAND RAPIDS, MI - Grand Rapids school officials are shedding more light on the rationale for administrative changes in its special education programs - changes that had parents and teachers voicing their dismay at a recent school board meeting.

School officials have assured parents that the change – reassigning five building principals within the center-based programs next year -- is for the best and would strengthen the programs serving 577 students from Grand Rapids and other Kent County communities.

“Our administrators are accepting of their new assignments and they are really ready to move forward,” said Terasita Long, executive director for GRPS special education programs. “We do have different skill sets and expertise among all of our administrators, but they are all very capable and their skills transferable. It is not like you get a degree to be a principal of x school.”

The biggest opposition to the change at the May 20 meeting came from parents and staff at Lincoln Developmental Center, which serves 103 medically fragile and cognitively impaired children and young adults, ages 5 to 26.

Longtime Lincoln Developmental Center Principal Lisa Merritt has been assigned to run the adjacent Lincoln School’s program for students ages 5 to 21 next year and Lincoln’s Steve Kadau will replace her at the developmental center.

Board members were told that Merritt’s experience with their high-needs children and the relationship with parents built on trust is invaluable, and her departure from the center would be destabilizing. They questioned the logic behind the move.

But Long insists everyone is going to gain and it will be a “win-win.” She said a review of the five the programs revealed multiple reasons why administrative and other program changes are needed, such as providing 21st century programming and technology to meet the needs of students at the Lincoln schools, Pine Grove, Kent Vocational Options and KVO/Community Based Occupational Training and the Transition Center at Mayfield.

“The need to build capacity among all administrators and build stronger connections between the five programs” was one of the overarching reasons cited for change that fueled frustration and speculation because of the lack of clarity.

Long said the principals could each bring a fresh perspective and experience to how to enhance programs at their new schools and tackle existing challenges.

For example, Lincoln School is a special education school that serves 192 students with physical, mental or learning needs. Long said more than any of their programs its profile has changed, both in student growth and make-up, including those with more severe impairments.

“The complexities of Lincoln over time has shifted a lot more than the developmental center or even Kent Vocational Options,” said Long, about bringing Merritt, along with Laura Ochoa, who is taking on a new position of working with students 21 and older at the school.

“We are looking at this as a system or family of schools rather than individual programs,” she said. “These folks (principals) will meet now like a small district for collaborative purposes, and we firmly believe that having walked in each other shoes will add to the strength and cohesion and program involvement.”

With the administrators at different points in their careers, the new configuration is also supposed to assure appropriate planning for succession.

Merritt does sit on the 10-member Center Program Advisory Committee that has been discussing various program improvements. She joined Long this winter as well school officials from Kentwood, Northview, Cedar Springs, Wyoming and a parent representative from Lincoln School.

The committee was established in 2012 as one of the recommendations from a study initiated because of feedback from local school districts and special education administrators, who did not feel like they had much input after students were assigned to a program, according Laura VanderPloeg, director of special education for the Kent Intermediate School District, chair of the committee.

“The committee has provided an opportunity to really take a look at where we have effective programs and where we have a need to make some changes,” VanderPloeg said.

But Long said ultimately it was she and Jim Polasek, special education compliance coordinator, who made the recommendation to Superintendent Teresa Weather Neal for the personnel changes after reviewing various areas, including programming for young adults, the increasing number of students with Autism Spectrum Disorder and facility needs.

Some have criticized Long for making the major leadership changes when she is retiring this year. However, she said it is not about her but implementing a better plan to support district students going forward.

"I endorse this plan 200 percent," said Long, who said she will serve in an advisory capacity to assist the new hire.